The Baja Peninsula stretches southward from the border of California for approximately 800 miles before terminating at Cabo San Lucas and is separated from the rest of Mexico by the Sea of Cortez. Despite its reputation as a dry, barren desert, it is in reality a very unique expanse with several distinctive ecosystems ranging from Mediterranean to moderate woodlands in the mountain ranges.

It is also adjacent to several of the most amazing saltwater fishing on the Pacific coast. The kind of fishing obtainable from one of the peninsula’s Mexico beach rental facilities is almost as different as the terrain. To be sure, there are many deep sea charter services with knowledgeable guides who will be pleased to take you out into the Pacific or the Gulf in search of marlin, mahi-mahi or dolphin, but it’s just as feasible to take a more passive line of attack.  Some fishermen who camp out along one of Baja’s white beaches find it just as productive to set up a fishing pole, a line and some bait and let the fish come to them.

When it comes to low tech fishing, the natives will often teach tourists a thing or two. Using nothing other than glass bottle as a float, a lead weight and most any kind of economical hook, area fisherman are able to cast a line a considerable distance into the water from the beach and wind up with some super catches.

If you wind up camping out beside the Sea of Cortez, you may do this kind of fishing out of necessity given that markets are far apart and driving over the region’s rustic roads can be a bone jarring experience to say the least. Beach vacation rentals with a sizeable refrigerator and cooking area is very convenient so you can store up and not have to make too many excursions into town for groceries. 

There is another side to Baja fishing and that is the competitive deep sea fishing tournaments that are repeatedly held out of San Cabo. There are three of these held each year, one of which is near the end of July and the others which take place about the middle of October. These are earnest contests with equally momentous prizes.  In the 2010 East Cape Tournament, fifty six teams walked away with a sum of over $304,000 in prize money, with one top prize of $64,515 going to a fisherman who caught a nearly 600 pound marlin.

Baja is more than fishing.  With some of the most beautiful, undeveloped beaches on North America’s Pacific Coast, surfing is a prevalent activity with tourists and the waves compare quite favorably with those off the coast of Hawaii. Baja ecotourism also consist of whale watching excursions during the migration season as the California gray whales make their way to and from Alaska. The tour boats get close enough to these huge, but friendly denizens of the deep for tourists to actually stroke them. Baja Ecotours also offers scuba diving tours and photo excursions as well as eco friendly romantic getaways that are solar and wind powered.